Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old who shot and killed two in self-defense during Kenosha, Wisconsin riots last year, took the stand on Wednesday to defend himself. It is a rare move for a defendant to take the stand personally, but considering the strong evidence supporting Kyle’s case, it makes sense, according to legal experts.
In a trial that has featured plenty of eye-opening and unprofessional mishaps from a seemingly amateur prosecution, scenes from Wednesday’s questioning have proven most notable. Early on in the day, Judge Bruce Shroeder SLAMMED prosecutor Thomas Binger for committing a “grave constitutional violation” with comments he made regarding Rittenhouse’s right to remain silent. Watch:
As the trial went on, Rittenhouse took the stand, answering questions from Binger. Binger asked a series of unrelated questions regarding first-person shooter video games, extremely normal for males Kyle’s age, getting nowhere. Watch:
Then, Binger, obviously not as intelligent as he thinks he is, was corrected by both Rittenhouse and Judge Schroeder regarding a question about hollow-point rounds.
In another ridiculous question, Binger asked Rittenhouse why he ran towards a fire started by the rabid BLM rioters at a storefront in Kenosha. Kyle’s answer resembled the exact opposite of the wild mob looting his city. He simply wanted to help his community from burning to the ground.
Finally, in the most emotional portion of the questioning, Kyle was asked to recall the most traumatic night of his life on the stand. As he attempted to get through his recap of the events that would change everything in his life, he struggled, seemingly suffering a panic attack induced by the painful, violent memories of grown men surrounding him and closing in.
Watch below (WARNING: This content is graphic.)
This was a painful clip for anyone with a heart to watch. We can only imagine how difficult it was for Kyle, just a teenager, to share his story on the stand. But it’s just another prime example of this young man’s courage in the face of rabid wolves deadset on crucifying him for a political agenda.
The rioting in Kenosha was terrorism. The mindless mob burnt businesses, beat elderly folks, and looted private property. And in too many American cities, the government did next to nothing to stop it; countless violent criminals even remain at large. But Kyle Rittenhouse stood up when most locked their doors and stayed inside. And when enemies, one of them a convicted child molester, attacked him, he did what he had to do.
